SS Ionic was a cargo liner initially in service with White Star Line from 1883 until 1900.

Ionic was built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and launched on 11 January 1883, being delivered to her new owners on 28 March 1883.

[2] After being inspected by the Prince of Wales, Ionic began her maiden voyage from London to Wellington, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, in April 1884, setting a new record for the passage.

She had to be towed to Cape Town after her propeller shaft snapped in 1893, and in 1894 she was extensively refitted by Harland and Wolff.

Ionic was sold later that year to the Aberdeen Line as a replacement for their Thermopylae, which had been lost in September 1899.